Latch



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. s. WINGHBSTER. LATCH.

WWA/55555.

N. PETERS. Fllolo-Lil raphur. Wnihingon. D. C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. S. WINGHESTER. LATGH.

No. 416,309. Patented Deo. s, 1889.

0 N L l N E X X E tu.:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDVARD S. Yl/IINCIIES'IER, OF DORCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,309, dated December 3, 1889.

VAPPHCBIOII med February 14, 1889. Serial No. 299,900. (No model.)

To all whom it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. WINcHEs- TER, of Dorchester, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Door-Latches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of latches in which the latch-bolt is held in a retracted position against the iniiuence of a spring and is automatically released and permitted to be projected when the door encounters the jamb in closing.

The invention consists, essentially, of a pivoted latch-bolt held in a retracted position against the intiuence of its projecting spring by a d etent, combined with a releasing device adapted to be operated by the door encountering the jamb.

The invention further consists in an improved bearing for the spindleof the knob, whereby lateral or rocking lnotion of the same is avoided.

It also consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a horizontal section of a latch, showing a portion of the door-jamb, the latch-bolt being shown in a retracted position. Fig. 2 is a.

plan view of the same partly in section,some of the parts being removed to expose the internal mechanism to view. 'Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the lock and the door-jamb, showing the projecting plate thereon. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line x fr of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the pivoted latch with its projecting spring. Fig. is a perspective View of a modified form of the detent.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a portion of a door; B, a portion of the doorjamb; C, the latch-case having, as usual, the inner and outer walls c and c and the end wall c2.

D and D represent the inner and outer knobs, respectively, provided, as usual, with the spindle d and shank d', the latter adapted to receive the spindle, which 4.is passed therethrough and screwed or otherwise fastened to the knob D. The shank is provided, as usual, with the tumblers e e', by means of .ing C and having its other end free.

which the latch is retracted, as more fu'lly described hereinafter.

E represents a strong spiral spring encircling the spindle between the shank and the knob'D.

F represents the latch-bolt consisting of the base f, the two side walls f and f2, and the end Wall f3. This latch is pivoted in the end to the casing of the lock by means of a pivotpin g, which passes through the latch-bolt and is fixed to the casing C. This latch is adapted to be projected through a recess in the end of the casing to an operative position or be retracted ush with the said casing in an inoperative position.

G represents a coiled spring encircling the pin g, by which the latch-bolt is projected. This spring is provided with the loop g', which bears upon the latch-bolt and the two arms g2 and g3, which extend upward, as

shown in Fig. l, and when the latch-bolt is in a retracted position bear against the inner casing of the latch. In order that the latch-bolt may be sustained in a retracted position, as shown in the drawings, I provide the same with the bar h, extending between the side walls thereof. This bar is constructed to be engaged by the spring-detent H, fixed at one end to the cas- The free end of this detent is provided with a notch 7L', adapted to ext-end beneath the bar h 011 the latch-bolt, and thus hold the same in a retracted position. In order that the detent may be lifted out of contact with the latch-bolt to release the same, I provide the sliding plate I. As shown,this plateis mounted in the forward edge of the casing, and is provided with the central tongue t', extending between the walls of the latch-bolt in contact with the free end of the detent. On each side of the central tongue t' the plate is provided with the tongues or ingers t" and 3, which extend on either side'of the latch-bolt and serve as a means of guiding the plate. The end of the plate is provided with the enlarged bearing-surface k, adapted to encounter the projection `L, formed on a plate secured to the jamb B of the door by means of screws or otherwise.

M represents a bail consisting of the two IOO arms m and m', pivoted at one end tothe walls of the latch by pins m2, and connected at their other ends by a cross-bar m3, which extends beyond the arms on either side. The ends of this cross-bar are adapted to be engaged by projections o and o', formed on the inner edges of the sliding frames P and P. These frames I) and I extend lengthwise of the lock, and are urged constantly forward by spiral springs n and n', located therein and encircling' headed bolts n2 and n3, one end ol' these springs bearing on the heads of the bolts and thcirother ends bearing on the frame. These frames are further provided with the projections p and p', adapted to be engaged by the tumblers e and e', and by means of which the frames may be retracted by the rotation of the knobs, the springs aet ing to turn the frames and knobs to their former position.

The operation is as follows: The parts bcing in the position shown in Fig. l, with the latch in a retracted position, when the door is closed the projection L will encounter the end of the plate and will force the same inward, thus pushing back the spring-detent II fronibeneath the bar on the latch-bolt,which, being released, will be projected by its spring G outward into the recess in the door-jamb. lVhen it is desired to unlatch and open the door, the knobs being rotated, the tumblers carried thereby will draw one of the frames against the intiuence of its spring, which, by means of its lateral projection encountering' the cross-piece of the bail, will draw the latchbolt inward until the bar thereon passes beyoud the notch on the spring-detent The knob is then released and is restored to its former position by the spring-frame.

It is not essential that the bar 7i, should be loca-ted between the walls of the latch-bolt, as any construction may be employed which will operate, as shown, to engage the spring-detent` and retain the latch-bolt in a retracted position. As shown in Fig. 3, the edge of the casing is recessed to admit the projection L, and to" prevent the saine from encountering the edge of the casing I commonly cover this recess with a thin plate t to present a Iinished appearance. By employing this covering I ani enabled t0 place the projection L very'close to the edge of the jainb, which for many reasons is advantageous.

In Fig. (S I have represented a modification of my detaining-spring. In this case the spring is provided with two notches, in order that the latch may be held either wholly or partially retracted.

On reference to Fig. l it will be seen that the shank ol' the knob l) is long and extends quite a distance beyond the easing of the latch. This forms a goed bearing for the spindle and prevents the same from wabbling or being forced out of line by the spring located between the shank and the knob.

lIaving thus described my invention, what I claim isl. In a door-latch, the combination, with the case, ot' the pivoted latch-bolt having thc recess therein, a bar located within said Arecess, a spring detent or catch arranged to engage the bar and retain the latch-bolt in a retracted position, and a lateral releasing device acting on said detent to lift the saine out of engagement with the bar.

f2. The latch-case, the sector-shaped bolt pivoted at one end and arranged to swing inward and outward at the opposite end, its projecting spring, the shouldered spring-detent directly engaging the swinging end of the latch to hold the saine in its retracted posil tion, and the trip-pin acting at one end against the detent and exposed at the opposite end, said parts constructed and arranged in relations substantially such as described and shown.

In combination with a sector-shaped pivoted swinging bolt and its projecting spring, a spring-detent provided with a plurality ol shoulders to successively engage the bolt and hold the same in diterent positions, and the trip device.

4. In combination with the` case, the pivoted sector-shaped bolt recessed in its inner side, the spring-detent attached tothe case and engaging within the bolt, and the sliding trip I, having one end exposed and the opposite end projected into the interior of the bolt to release the detent.

5. In a latch, the combination, with the spindle, ofthe shank surrounding said spindle and extending through and beyond the casing of the latch, and the spring located between the spindle and the shank.

In testimonywhereof I hereunto set my hand, this 21st day of January, 1889, in theprescnce of two attesting witnesses. A

EDIVARI) S. \VlNClllE."l`ER.

Witnesses:

HARRY W. AIKEN, EDWIN F. EDeE'rT.

IOO 

